“children's homes in Harrow”

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 37 Headstone Lane, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 6JJ

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Key findings from this inspection

 Children are positive about living at the home. A child said, ‘I loved my time at the home.’  Staff support children to achieve some good outcomes. Inspection report children’s home: SC467004 2  Staff promote children’s safety. Incidents of children going missing have improved significantly.  Staff promote children’s education. A professional said, ‘They challenge key partners to ensure there is no drift or delay in sourcing a suitable education provision.’  Children experience stability in the leadership and management of the home with few staff changes.  A parent said, ‘I couldn’t fault the home. There was a lovely atmosphere, always willing to help with any concerns I had. A brilliant place for my child.’  A member of staff commented, ‘I enjoy the calmness of the home and how we as a team communicate and work together to provide consistency for the children.’

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two children currently live in the home but did not contribute to this inspection. Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home and two have moved on. Two of the new children went missing a high number of times and this was part of previously established behaviour. They then moved on for reasons outside of the home’s control. One incident, which took place elsewhere, presented a serious risk to the home. Staff risk assessed the incident, managed it well with the police and appropriately reported this to Ofsted. The current residents do not place themselves at risk by going missing and conform well to any legal restrictions on their liberty.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Information about this children's home

A private company operates this children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Information about this children's home

A private company operates this children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the children’s request, the manager is converting a games room into a computer room. The lounge and kitchen are reasonably furnished and clean. Some aspects still appear institutional, such as notices on a ‘young people’s noticeboard’, signs about kitchen hygiene and a list of rules. The manager advises that the appearance of the garden was improved. However, weeds have grown again and the garden appears unkempt in a few places. A recommendation related to making the premises as domestic as possible for children, made at the last inspection, is repeated in this report.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children's home registered to care for up to four young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

The children's home provision is good because:

 Children are happy and settled in the home.  Staff have a strong focus on supporting education.  There is little change to the staff team so children experience stability in those looking after them.  A parent finds the staff ‘supportive and inclusive’.  Staff understand the link between how children feel and how they behave.  Children are encouraged to get support from agencies such as Addaction, child and adolescent mental health services and Weight Watchers to improve their physical, mental and emotional health.  The majority of feedback from professionals, a child and a parent is very positive but one professional did not think that the home provided a good service.  A social worker said that the home is good because of ‘communication, support, pastoral care’.  Management has made good progress in meeting the three recommendations made at the last inspection.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Good

Children receive support to re-engage with education. One child has worked towards and achieved some GCSE qualifications. They have gained valuable experience by volunteering, working part time and achieving the National Citizenship Scheme Challenge Award. Their further education is in place for September. The staff have worked with the virtual school to provide educational support for those without or waiting for placements. They persist in encouraging those who are not willing to engage in their education. Children are encouraged to attend the library to read books and comics and to learn outside of educational settings. An educational professional said, ‘Although this child is refusing to attend education, the home has been supporting and encouraging this child to engage in education.’ Some children have experienced stability after several placement moves. For example, an independent reviewing officer said a child has experienced ‘two of his

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

of a new admission on other residents. For planned admissions, children have the chance to visit the home and meet the staff. This helps them decide if they wish to live in the home and invest in the placement. Staff help children to understand why they are looked after. Those who have moved on to live semi-independently have gained useful life skills, such as preparing meals and budgeting, and are supported to find suitable training and employment. Children keep in touch with staff. Staff respect children as individuals. Their achievements are celebrated. Mentors have helped those children who are in need of extra support at difficult times in their lives. Staff help children to build positive relationships with family members where this is possible, for example by inviting family members to share meals in the home for Inspection report children’s home: SC467004 5 significant events such as Mother’s Day. Children are encouraged to bring their friends to

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Good

In a survey, a social worker said, ‘The home has a very warm and welcoming vibe.’ The building is clean and tidy. Children like their rooms and the rest of the home. Staff display photographs of the children taking part in various activities as well as certificates of their achievements and notes of their strengths and skills. This helps to enhance children’s sense of belonging and acknowledges their progress. Just a few aspects detract from the homely appearance and could appear institutional, such as the home’s rules which are displayed in the living room and already available to children in the children’s guide. Children’s files show good order so children have an accurate record of their time in the home. Staff compile books of photographs so that children will have a record of what they have done during their time in the home. The home keeps a register of all who have lived in the home but a few details are missing so the register does

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has lived at the home long term. There is good progress in terms of education attendance and employment. There is some ‘drift’ in conforming to aspects of his care plan. The other resident has settled reasonably well. However, placement planning did not take place at the beginning of the child’s stay, not all essential paperwork is available to help staff plan for this child and no education or training is in place. Staff are encouraging his learning with BBC Bitesize or visits to the library. Nevertheless, the child is not receiving the education he is entitled to in order to progress. Staff do provide some challenge to placing authorities but not always with successful outcomes.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have made significant progress while living at the home, which has improved their outcomes. For example, some children have improved their behaviour at school and have received an award for attendance and engagement. Improved behaviour has led to greater stability in some children’s lives, for example with their returning to live with their foster families. Other children have lived in the home only for a short time so have had limited opportunity to experience what the home has to offer and, thus, to make progress. A few children have continued to struggle to regulate their behaviour and emotions and this has led to placement breakdown, despite good progress in other areas of their lives. Education is a high priority. The manager and staff challenge local authorities to provide a suitable education for children. For example, some children rejected home tuition because they wanted to go out to school each day and have opportunities to learn with

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Good

more settled years there’. Staff do not readily give up on children and recognise the effects that abuse and trauma may have on their behaviour. Children receive support to stay in contact with families where this is appropriate. In some cases, contact with family is re-established and in a few cases children have returned to live with their family. A social worker said, ‘Staff are keen to support and facilitate contact and have a good relationship with my young person’s parent.’ Children give their views on all aspects of life in the home. Staff ask children’s views informally, which is more natural than through formal meetings. It is good practice that children recently took part in recruiting staff. They compiled interview questions and put these to candidates. New staff found this really useful in helping prepare them to work with the children and to really think about their motivation for doing so.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

Recommendations

paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  Ensure the registered person only accepts placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The independent visitor raised the point that admitting three children at the same time with similar profiles was not in the home’s best interests and it is preferable for admissions to be staggered to allow children to settle in and an informed knowledge base to develop. Although the manager conducts safeguarding risk assessments, these do not specifically assess the impact one child’s admission may have on existing residents, which would improve the admission process.

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

Harrow · HA2 6JJ

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

information to engage with families and others to reduce unauthorised absences. This has a major impact on the safe care of young people in the home. However, when young people from one placing authority return from periods of missing the local authority have rarely supplied independent return interviews, despite repeated requests from the home. The home and police do afford young people the opportunity to discuss their absences when they return. Not all placing authorities are providing suitable safeguards for young people who go missing from care. The registered manager has notified HMCI of any significant events in a timely manner. Where other actions are required the home has ensured young people’s safety by engaging positively with the local safeguarding children board, the police and the local authority designated officer. Where potential conflicts of interest have occurred the home has acted promptly to notify all relevant parties and ensure an